My Empire of Dirt
by the-protective-chronicler
Summary: What should have been a simple trip back home for her father's funeral becomes much more complicated when the world ends. Katie Novak must decide who she is in this new world, and what will make her survive. OC's point of view on the events of The Walking Dead (first person).
1. Prologue - Outbreak

The fall of Atlanta was fast and bloody. It was only a matter of days before most of the population was dead. Or not dead. FEMA and the Red Cross stopped sending supplies. The military pulled out of the city. Thousands of people piled into their cars and tried to leave, only to be stopped by hordes of the dead. Then they started bombing us. And through all of this, I survived. Not sure how or why. All I know is that going through something like this changes a person. I went from barely being able to catch a rat in my New York City apartment to taking down the dead when they were in my way. You find out quickly what you're made of when you have your back up against the wall and the dead are groaning for your flesh. I felt like someone had scooped out any feelings and left just two - fear and anger.

The frustrating thing is that I wasn't even supposed to be in Atlanta. I moved to New York for college, and found a nice job and an apartment, with no plans of ever going home. But then my father, who I hadn't talked to in five years, died. His new family insisted that he would have wanted me there, which I highly doubted. I finally decided to go when a lengthy conversation with my roommate convinced me that it would be closure. Put my father to rest.

The outbreak happened three days after I arrived. Caroline, his most recent wife, had offered me a room for as long as I wanted. I took the opportunity to visit some old friends. I sat with my third-grade best friend, staring at the TV as strange news reports flooded in. I knew I needed to find my mom. She couldn't handle this on her own. As I made my way to the bus stop, I saw them. The infected. Corpses dragging their feet, moaning and clawing. I don't remember the rest. I just ran. And hid. Somehow, I made it through. Even when they bombed the city, I lived.

Eventually it all stopped. No more help, no more military, no more bombs. Just the dead. And the survivors. I decided to leave Atlanta, thinking that maybe, in places with smaller populations, the damage would be less severe. All I had was a backpack full of canned food and ill-fitting clothes, and a handgun and machete that I had picked up sometime in the chaos. I would have been dead soon after if it hadn't been for Glenn.

A month had already passed when I headed for the outskirts of the city. I was slowed down by the hordes of the dead. Walkers, Glenn called them. I managed to work my way past them, doubling back and doing a lot of short trips to avoid a confrontation with those things. I could fight, but I didn't like what it did to me. How it made my blood boil as I suppressed the urge to cry out in anger. Killing those things brought out a side of me I didn't like.

I was holed up in a grocery store when Glenn found me. The aisles were dark, and most of the food had gone bad. I had done a quick sweep first, but it was devoid of the dead, which was a nice surprise. I slowed down to look for food, but the majority of the store had been picked clean. I was just going to leave when I heard the door open. I readjusted my grip on the machete, my knuckles turning white. I crept down the aisle, keeping myself close to the shelf. I slowed as I reached the end, and I poked my head out carefully. I saw a figure disappear down an aisle a few feet away. I listened carefully, but I couldn't hear the labored breathing typical of the dead. I was bracing myself for a run to the door when I heard a muttered oath. The voice sounded on the younger side, possibly my age. I hedged for a moment, biting my lip.

"Screw it," I whispered to myself. I stepped out of the aisle, and walked forward. I looked down the next aisle, but it was empty. I continued for three aisles, until I had to skid to a halt to avoid being seen by a college-age man. He was carrying a duffel bag and a handgun. He lifted his baseball cap to push back his black hair. He was staring at the items on the feminine hygiene shelf. My mouth twitched into a smile. He had no idea what he was doing.

"Need some help?" my voice sounded awfully loud in such a quiet space, and it cracked from disuse. The man jumped, and turned to face me, gun at the ready. I held my hands up, "Don't worry, I'm not dead, and I'm not going to hurt you."

"W-who are you?" he stammered.

"Katie Novak," I said, as if it mattered anymore, "You got a name?"

"Glenn, I'm Glenn," he said nervously, glancing over his shoulder. "Are you alone?"

"Yeah," I nodded. I glanced at the feminine products, "I'm guessing you're not?"

"I'm with a group," Glenn explained. "There are women and children there too. They send me to do supply runs a lot, and I was asked to pick up some...specific items."

"Tampons?" I asked with a smirk. Glenn nodded, and I stepped forward. I glanced down at the shelf. "Anything specific?"

"No," Glenn shrugged. I grabbed a couple of boxes and handed them over. He tucked them into his duffel bag.

"Did your group set up in the city?" I asked. Glenn opened his mouth to respond, but shut it quickly. He glanced down at the floor, avoiding my gaze. "I'm sorry, I'm being kind of presumptuous. I just haven't had a conversation with someone in a long time, and it's depressing, wandering the city on your own...The thought of meeting and talking to new people sounds nice."

"I understand, but I don't know anything about you," Glenn said with an apologetic look, "I mean, you've survived this long, you must be pretty tough."

"Which could mean dangerous," I offered. I sighed, and tucked my tangled black hair behind my ear. "Before this crap happened, I was going to NYU for environmental science. I'm not exactly G.I. Jane. But I'm a quick learner, and I work hard. I promise I'll help out in any way with your group. And if it's not a good fit, I'll leave. Could you at least help me get out of the city? You can make a decision then."

"...Alright," Glenn said, shaking his head as if already regretting his choice. "I'm all wrapped up here. Are you ready to go, or do you need anything?"

"No, this place is pretty empty," I said, "and I have all of my stuff with me. Let's get out of here. We've been lingering too long anyway."

"Agreed," Glenn nodded. He lead the way down the aisle, holding his gun in front of him. Glenn stood by the door, and pressed his hand on the glass. He glanced at me, and I nodded. He pushed it open, and I poked my head outside. Glenn nudged me, "any walkers?"

"You mean dead people?" I hissed, "Yeah, just a few wandering around, none of them near the door."

"Come on," Glenn stepped outside, and I followed. We hurried along the front of the building, and he led me through various alleyways. We changed direction suddenly on multiple occasions when faced by hordes of walkers. I started to lose track of where we were.

"How do you do this?" I whispered as we huddled behind a dumpster.

"I used to deliver pizzas," Glenn shrugged. He peeked around the dumpster, "Let's keep going."

We were making our way down the alley when something snagged my leg. I looked down, and the top half of a walker was clutching my ankle. I suppressed a scream, and brought my machete down into its skull. It sliced into bone with a sickening thud, and the fingers went limp. I kicked it off, and I pulled the machete out, blood dripping from the blade.

"Ew," I shivered, wiping the blade on the walker's shirt. Glenn tugged at my arm.

"More walkers, we gotta go!" he urged. I straightened up and we ran down the alley, the sounds of hungry moans reverberating off of the brick walls. After a few minutes of jogging, Glenn lead me to a fence on the outskirts of the city.

"Through here," he said, holding back a section of cut fence. I stepped through, pulling my arms in to avoid the sharp metal. Glenn stepped through after me, and set the metal back in place. Walkers started to gather on the other side, so we hurried in the opposite direction. We ended up on the interstate. There was a line of abandoned cars on the road leading away from the city. We walked on the road out, our feet shuffling on the asphalt.

"You don't happen to have a car, do you?" I asked as the silence stretched.

"No, but the camp's only half an hour away, and the sun's still up," Glenn reassured me. Most of the trek to their camp was in silence. I tried to engage him in conversation, but he wasn't taking the bait. I just felt fortunate that he allowed me to go with him in the first place, so I wasn't going to push it.

The camp was between the top of a large quarry and a forest. Cars were parked along the dirt road, the most notable being an RV. An older man sat on top of it, binoculars hanging around his neck and a rifle held in the crook of his arm. As we approached, he waved at us.

"Looks like Glenn found a friend!" he called. I rubbed my hands on my thighs, wiping off the sweat that had accumulated there in the oppressive Georgia heat. Tents were spread along the treeline, with several people milling about.

"Whoa, you have a lot of people," I said, eyes widening. "If this many people survived here, then maybe it's not too grim farther out."

"Let's hope so," Glenn said. "In the meantime, we're all counting on each other to survive."

"Of course. And I'll help any way I can," I nodded firmly. As we reached the camp, a burly man with a broad nose and fluffy black hair approached us

"Who's this?" the man asked, glancing between Glenn and I.

"Shane, this is Katie," Glenn gestured at me. "I met her in the city. She's all by herself."

"Nice to meet you," I said, holding out my hand. Shane eyed me for a moment before shaking it.

"You survived out there by yourself?" Shane asked.

"Yes sir," I said, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

"Military?" he asked skeptically, glancing down at the tank top sticking to my flabby skin.

"No, just lucky enough to survive," I chuckled with a shake of my head. "Really not sure how I did it."

"Well, there's always room for more," Shane said with a smile, seeming to have decided that I was worth their time. He pointed at two women and two children sitting on camping chairs around a firepit. "Why don't you go talk to Lori, she'll introduce you to everyone. Glenn, get that stuff into the RV."

"Which one is Lori?" I asked as Glenn headed over to the RV.

"The brunette," Shane said, his mouth momentarily twitching into a smile.

"Thanks," I nodded at him and he patted my shoulder. I walked over to the group. Lori watched me approach from under her hand, shading the sun from her eyes.

"Hey," I said, "I'm Katie. Shane said I should come over here, if you don't mind me joining you."

"That's fine. Have a seat," Lori gestured at an empty chair. I slung off my backpack and sat. "I'm Lori, and this is my son, Carl."

"Nice to meet you, Carl," I shook his hand, and he gave me a small smile. He had brown hair and bright blue eyes, and looked about ten years old.

"This is Carol, and that's her daughter Sophia," Lori introduced me to the woman with short cropped gray hair, and her blonde daughter. As we exchanged pleasantries, more people walked over. I was introduced to Andrea, Amy, and Jacqui as they joined us. We chatted pleasantly for a while, and they listened politely as I told them about meeting Glenn. This lead to a discussion about feminine hygiene, which made Carl and Sophia leave to play with the other kids.

"It'll be nice to have another woman around," the older man from the RV said as he walked over. It was apparent that he wanted to introduce himself, so I stood up.

"What, so you can make another person do laundry?" Andrea asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Absolutely not!" the man said, holding his hands up, "I just think women are better at having meaningful conversations, that's all."

"Hopefully I won't disappoint," I said, offering my hand, "Hi, I'm Katie."

"And I'm Dale. It's a pleasure to meet you," Dale smiled and shook my hand. "So, is the city still looking bad?"

"Very," I sighed. "Just walkers. I ran into a few people, but not many. And certainly not ones that you want to talk to. Glenn is the only person I've met that seems trustworthy."

"He's a good kid," Dale said with a proud nod. "We've got a good group of people here."

"Well, most of them," Jacqui muttered under her breath. I glanced at her, and she nodded to a motorcycle near the RV. "The owner of that motorcycle and his brother are two of the biggest hicks I've ever seen. You might want to be careful around them when they get back from hunting."

"I grew up around hicks, so I should be fine. I speak their language," I said with a suggestive wiggle of my eyebrow.

"So what's your story?" Dale asked. "Are you from Atlanta?"

"I grew up in the sticks when I was a kid," I began, my jaw tightening, "but my parents split and my mom got custody. We moved to the city, and once I was in highschool, I started applying for every single college outside of Georgia. I got into NYU, and am - er, was - a student there. Sorry, that's probably more than you needed to know."

"It's always nice to hear about people's lives before this," Dale waved his hand, "I think it's something we should hold on to."

"What about you then?" I asked.

"Well, I'm retired," Dale said, glancing back at the RV. "My wife and I were traveling around the country. She passed away before any of this happened."  
"I'm so sorry," I said, reaching out and patting his arm. He shrugged.

"Such is life," he sighed. "Well, I better get back. It's nice to meet you, Katie, and I'm sure you'll fit in just fine."

"Thanks," I smiled. I spent the rest of the afternoon being introduced to the other survivors, and I got a tour of the camp. Carl and Sophia seemed to have taken to me. They always seemed to be at my elbow while Lori and Carol explained what chores I could help out with. As the sun began to set, two men arrived at camp.

"The hunters have returned!" the older of the two announced in a loud voice, accompanied by a smug grin. His jaw was wide, and he had a military haircut. The other man had a wispy goatee, and blue eyes that were narrowed either at the sunlight or just naturally. He had a crossbow slung across his back, and several squirrels dangling on a string attached to his belt. I watched curiously as he walked over to the firepit and detached the squirrels. I was standing a few feet away, collecting laundry from the line with Carol.

"The smug looking one is Merle," she whispered, "and that's his brother, Daryl."

"They look fun," I said in a toneless voice, and Carol hid her smile behind a t-shirt. Daryl began to skin the squirrels as Merle walked over to him. He stopped as he passed Carol and I. He looked me up and down with a curious expression.

"Who're you?" he asked. "Never seen you 'round here before."

"I'm new," I said. I set down my pile of laundry on the ironing board and held out my hand. Might as well try to be polite. "I'm Katie."

"Well hello Katie," he took my hand with a wolfish grin, squeezing it much harder than necessary. His eyes roved over my body again. "Not bad."

"Uh…" I trailed off, not sure how to reply. He still had my hand. I pulled it out of his grasp and wiped the sweat off on my shirt. Merle edged closer, flicking a button on someone's button-up shirt that I was holding.

"You get here today?" he asked, staring at me with unnerving intensity. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, using it to hid my side-step away from Merle and towards Carol. I ducked my head, hiding behind my hair.

"Yeah, Glenn and I met in town earlier," I said, going back to folding laundry. Merle tilted his head to the side so he could get a better look at me.

"All by your lonesome, then?" he asked, his lower lip sticking out in what I assume was a sympathetic look. I shivered, and not in the good way.

"Mhmm," I mumbled, my eyes focused on the pair of shorts I was folding. Merle reached out and grabbed my hand. My head snapped up.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on you," he purred, rubbing his thumb along the side of my hand. I snatched it away from him, and gathered my pile of folded clothes.

"Thank you, but I can keep an eye on myself," I said, my voice sounding much firmer than I felt. "There's no need for you to worry about me."

"Well honey, I might keep my eye on you anyway," Merle said with a wink. I glanced at Carol, who just looked back at me with a helpless expression. I turned my gaze to Daryl, who I could have sworn looked sorry for me under his stoic scowl. I stalked off with the clothes, Merle's chuckle reverberating in my head.

"What's the matter?" Lori asked me as I walked over to her tent.

"Here're your clothes," I handed her the pile. I glanced back at Merle, who was still watching me. "So, I don't have a tent, or really anywhere to sleep. I was wondering if I could bunk with you guys? I know that's a lot to ask, but I'd feel...safer that way. Would that be ok?"

"No problem," Lori nodded. "We can scrounge up some extra bedding for you."

"Thanks," I crouched down next to her. "So, what's your story? I've heard everyone elses."

"It's just Carl and I," Lori said. She cleared her throat, and ducked into the tent. She gave me an expectant look and I followed her inside. There were two camping mats with sleeping bags. She put the clothes away in a duffel bag. "My husband..."

"You mean Shane?" I asked. Lori pressed her hand against her mouth to cover a smile.

"He's just a friend," she said, her expression sobering. I raised my eyebrow at her, but refrained from comment. "My husband...he didn't…"

"He didn't make it?" I finished for her. Lori nodded, avoiding my gaze. I reached out and squeezed her hand. "I don't think my mom made it out either. When the outbreak started, I tried to find her. Her apartment was empty. I have to assume…"

"C'mon, dinner should be ready soon," Lori stood up and walked out of the tent, slumping her shoulders to avoid hitting her head. I followed suit, and we all gathered around the firepit. Daryl was gracious enough to share the squirrel he had caught, but he and Merle kept to themselves. I sat in between Lori and T-Dog, tearing the meat off of the bone with my teeth. There were some beans to go with the meal, and I watched Carl pick at them dispassionately at his mother's feet.

"Don't like your squirrel and beans, kid? You ain't Southern," I whispered to him, which brought up a reluctant smile. Shane was on Lori's other side, and he smiled at me.

"Not much can get this little twerp to smile," he said, ruffling Carl's hair. Carl ducked out from under Shane's hand, but he was grinning. I wanted to say something to Shane about him taking care of Lori and Carl. Not many people would be up to the task of protecting someone else's family. But I kept my mouth shut as I watched Shane tease Carl. Dale regaled us with stories from his road trip. I was finding it hard to eat, because my throat felt tight. Tears threatened to fall from the corners of my eyes. It felt perfectly normal, camping with these people. They gave me hope. But there was still that looming fear of the walkers hanging over our heads, which was tearing into my peace of mind.

Shane took watch as everyone got ready for bed. Dale let me use the bathroom in his RV, and gave me a spare blanket and pillow.

"I'm sorry I don't have much more to give you," Dale said, tugging at his chin.

"The fact that you're giving a stranger anything is very nice of you," I said, patting his arm.

"I don't think we can afford to have strangers anymore," Dale said thoughtfully. "We all need to stick together to survive this. You're our friend now, Katie."

"If you had asked me this morning if I were ever going to have friends again, I would have said no," I said, "I've never felt this fortunate. Goodnight, Dale."

"Goodnight," Dale nodded, and I hauled the bedding out of the RV. I glanced up at the roof, where Shane was standing. He had a rifle cradled in his arms, and was looking out towards Atlanta.

"Thank you," I called up to him. He glanced down, but his face was in shadow.

"For what?" he asked, and I could hear the grin in his voice.

"For looking out for us," I said. He gave me a curt nod, and I responded with a little wave. I turned and walked towards Lori's tent. The sun had set, and I could only see by the stars. In the darkness, I didn't see Daryl's motorcycle. My foot slammed into the wheel, and it wobbled.

"Shit!" I muttered, dropping the blanket and pillow to reach out and steady the bike.

"Watch where you're going, fat ass!" a voice hissed. I looked up, and saw two pairs of eyes staring at me, lit up from the dying embers of the fire. Daryl stood up and walked over.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see it, with this damn blanket in the way," I said quickly, "I didn't do any damage though. It's a really sweet bike."

"Whatever," Daryl growled, crouching down to inspect his motorcycle. I reached down and picked up the comforter, which was now covered in dust. I was attempting to fold it without hitting the motorcycle when Merle walked over.

"Let me help you with that, honey," he crooned, taking the blanket from me. I leaned forward and picked up the pillow. "Now, where are you set up?"

"Lori's tent," I said, hugging the pillow to my body. Merle tucked the blanket under his arm.

"Why don't you come keep me company instead?" Merle asked, closing the distance between us. "She got a kid. Could be more restful with me. Or not, if I'm lucky."

"N-no thank you," I stammered, holding my hand out. "I'll take the blanket, please."

"Aw, c'mon sweet cheeks," Merle said, reaching out and brushing my hair away from my face. I flinched. "Now, don't be like that. Merle'll take good care of you, don't you worry."

"Merle, leave her alone," Daryl snapped. "You got better things to do than chat her up."

"What's better than sweet-talking a fine woman?" Merle's hand pressed against my lower back, "I'm set up right over there, why don't you-"

"What's going on over here?" T-Dog walked over to us. He turned to me, "Katie, is he bothering you?"

"Nah, we're just talking," Merle said, sliding his hand up my back and pulling me into a side-hug. "Getting to know each other."

"It's late," T-Dog said, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from Merle. "Time for everyone to go to bed."

"Yo dawg," Merle said mockingly, anger boiling under his words, "why don't you leave this pretty little thang alone?"

"I'm fine, really," I said, grabbing a fistfull of blanket and yanking it out of Merle's grasp.

"Hey!" he growled. I gathered the blanket up in my arms, stepping away from Merle. T-Dog moved with me.

"Can you walk me to Lori's tent?" I whispered to him. He nodded, and we started walking away from the fire pit.

"Whatever, bitch," Merle mumbled venomously. T-Dog bristled, and started to turn around. I grabbed his arm.

"It's nothing," I said, my voice shaking. I kept my hand clasped around his forearm until we reached Lori's tent. "Thank you."

"It's no trouble," T-Dog said. "If he bothers you any more, let me or Shane know, ok?"

"I will," I said, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Katie," T-Dog rubbed my arm before turning around. I unzipped the tent and stepped in, nearly tripping over the blanket. Lori had a lantern on, sitting up with a concerned expression.

"What's the matter?" she asked as I put the blanket and pillow down at the far end of the tent. I folded it so that I could use it like a sleeping bag.

"Merle's an idiot," I said, putting down the pillow and fluffing it aggressively, "I'm going to need to pull myself together and tell him that he can go fu-"

"Katie," Lori said pointedly, glancing at Carl. I turned, and saw that Carl was awake, peering at me over the top of his sleeping bag.

"Sorry," I said, kicking my shoes off. I curled up in the blanket, and rested my head on the pillow.

"You comfortable?" Lori asked.

"Mhmm," I mumbled. Lori reached out and turned off the lantern. We laid there in silence, only hearing the chirping of crickets and other night noises. I spoke suddenly. "So they have a perimeter set up, right? Like, with cans strung up in the trees, right?"

"Yes," Lori said. I grew silent, staring up at the tent's ceiling.

"Shane will protect us," Carl said after a moment. I glanced at him, but it was too dark to see him. I closed my eyes, holding onto that thought.

The next few days went much like the first as I adjusted to life in camp. It felt strange to be surrounded by so many people. I was tense, and found myself reaching for my machete whenever someone walked up behind me.

"You feeling alright?" Dale asked me one afternoon, as I stepped into his RV. He was sitting at the table and cleaning his rifle. "You look a little jumpy."

"Camp's just a lot to handle, after being alone for so long," I said with a shrug. I sat down across from him, and drummed my fingers on table.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Dale asked expectantly.

"I don't know," I sighed, shaking my head. "I'm just antsy."

"Maybe you could go out and look for food," Dale suggested. "I'm sure there are plenty of wild berries out there just waiting to be picked. Or maybe even try hunting with that machete of yours."

"Isn't that the Dixon boys' job?" I asked with a frown.

"They don't own the forest," Dale smiled. "You could even ask Daryl to teach you how to hunt."

"Seriously?" I snorted. "I can't imagine him wanting to help me out."

"Give it a try," Dale said, putting his gun back together. "The worst he can do is say no."

"You have a point there," I said, standing up, "which is why we look to you for guidance."

"Why thank you," Dale nodded at me with a grin as I stepped out of the RV. I walked across the camp, noting that Daryl and Merle were both missing.

"Where're you hurrying off to?" Shane asked me from the fire pit. I slowed down to stop next to him.

"I thought I'd go look for edible plants," I lied. I didn't think he'dl like the idea of me wandering into the woods to looks for a Dixon. Shane eyed me for a moment.

"Alright, just stay within shoutin' distance," he said sternly. I nodded and headed into the woods. It was silent, except for the occasional bird calls. The leaves rustled overhead as I inched through the woods. I tried to look for signs of Daryl, but I had little to no tracking skills. I just walked on instinct. I paused to pluck a few blackberries from a bush and popped them into my mouth. I closed my eyes, enjoying the tart taste rolling over my tongue. I heard a twig snap and my eyes opened. I slowly reached down for my machete. I gripped the handle, and pulled it free from the belt loop. I crouched there, wound up like a spring. I lept up and spun around, the machete held over my head. A hand grabbed my wrist.

"Whoa, whoa there little lady!" Merle exclaimed as he held my arm back. "You could kill someone with that thang!

"What the hell were you doing, sneaking up on me like that!" I snapped back, sticking the machete handle back through the belt loop. I rubbed my arm where he had grabbed me.

"Saw you wandering around, thought I'd check on ya," Merle said, tilting his head to the side. "What'cha doing out here?"

"Picking berries," I said flatly.

"I can see that," Merle said, reaching out and grabbing my chin. I flinched away, but his grip was strong. He rubbed his thumb over the corner of my mouth. He removed his hand and brought it up to his mouth. There was a purple stain on his thumb, and he licked it while staring at me. "Ain't got no bag or bucket, though. What's really going on?"

"I just wanted some time to myself," I said with a shrug, taking a step back. "Camp's kind of crowded."

"Oh I hear ya, sister," Merle chuckled with a shake of his head. He swept his arm out, gesturing at the surrounding trees. "And look at us now. All alone."

"I noticed that," I mumbled. I took a few more steps back and reached for the gun tucked into the back of my jeans. Or the gun that was supposed to be there. "Hey!"

"Quick, ain't I?" Merle grinned, holding up my gun. I stood frozen, my hands balled up into fists. "You don't need a gun when you got me lookin' after ya."

"Give it back," I seethed. Merle let out a hearty laugh. "Look, what if a walker shows up?"

"You got your machete. And besides, if you really want it," Merle snickered as he shoved my gun into the front of his pants, "you can come get it."

"You're disgusting," I spat, my eyes darting between his face and the gun.

"I'm disgusting?" he questioned. "You're the one staring at my crotch, honey!"

"Whatever, freak," I sighed. I moved like I was going to walk away, but I spun around and reached for the gun. Merle grabbed me before I could reach it. He gripped my upper arms and slammed me into a nearby tree. The bark cut into my back. I struggled against him, trying to reach the gun. He let go of my left arm so he could grab the gun and toss it aside. He wound his fingers in my hair and yanked my head back. I was staring into the tree branches when he leaned in, his breath on my neck.

"You think you hot shit, huh?" he growled, twisting his hand on my arm, sending jolts of pain through my skin. "You're mine, honey. You just gotta accept it."

"Fuck off!" I snarled. He pulled back his arm sharply, his nails digging into my scalp. The movement made me drop to my knees.

"We're gonna have us some fun," Merle growled, licking his lips. Fear caused a cold sweat to bead along my skin, and my heart pounded.

"Merle, what the fuck are you doing?" Merle looked up, and his grip on my hair slackened. I was able to turn my head to see Daryl walking towards us, cradling his crossbow in his arms.

"Just foolin' around," Merle said, looking back down at me. I grabbed his wrist with both of my hands and tugged. His hand pulled out of my hair, taking several strands with it. I bit back my yell of pain as I flung his arm away from me. I stood up and walked over to my gun. I picked it up and held it loosely by my side, eyeing the brothers. Merle was rubbing his wrist. "Damn bitch, what'cha do that for?"

"You kidding me?" I asked. "You were gonna rape me, shithead!"

"Wouldn't be rape if you just went along with it, girly," Merle sneered, taking a step forward. Daryl jumped in front of him, putting his hand on Merle's chest, "Yo man, what do you care for, huh?"

"Just leave the bitch alone," Daryl said. I bristled, my grip tightening on my gun, but I remained silent. Daryl turned to me, "What'choo doing out here, anyway?"

"I was looking for you," I said, trying not to smile at the confounded look on both their faces, "I want to learn how to hunt and track."

"Why didn't you ask me, sweet cheeks?" Merle asked, trying to get past Daryl, who shoved him, "Dammit Daryl! Leave it alone!"

"Just go back to camp, where you belong," Daryl snarled at me, his eyes boring into mine. I didn't need telling twice, and I spun around and jogged towards camp. The sound of raised voices grew faint as I put as much distance between myself and them.

"What happened to you?" Carol asked as I walked back into camp. I joined her, Lori, and their kids by the fire pit. They had books spread out around them, the children doing math problems.

"Tripped like the idiot I am," I said, not making eye contact. I ruffled Carl's hair. "Math, huh? That's no fun."

"Katie?" Lori questioned, but I just looked up at her and shook my head. I spent the rest of the day content with my chores, jumping every time someone said my name or touched me. Luckily Merle and Daryl stayed lost most of the day. By the time they got back, it was dark, and we were all gathered around the fire pit.

"What we got on tonight?" Merle asked as he sat down across from me. He stared at me through the flames.

"Same as last night," Dale sighed, "more squirrel. Which we really are grateful for."

"Something new would be nice," Amy commented.

"Well then go hunt it your damn self," Daryl commented from his motorcycle, just out of the firelight.

"Some people ain't got no manners," Merle said, grinning at me. "Ain't that right?"

"Whatever," I mumbled, looking down at the ground. I tugged at a blade of grass near my foot. People fell into their own conversations, and I chatted with Lori. I could feel Merle burning a hole in the side of my face with his stare, but I kept my eyes on Carl and Lori.

"I got something better than math books," I said to Carl with a wink. I reached into my bag and pulled out a worn book. "I was thinking I can read it to you when we go to bed."

"What is it?" Lori asked as Carl took the book, flipping through the pages.

"The Hobbit," I said. "I happened to have it on me when...You know…"

"Oh, the Hobbit!" Amy exclaimed. "I haven't read that in years."

"If we gonna talk about kid stories, I'm turning in," Merle grumbled. He stood up from the fire and shot me one last grin before heading off. I took the book back from Carl and opened it to the first page.

"I could read it here, if you guys wanted," I said with a shy shrug. "Even if people aren't into this kind of thing, it's better than not having a book."

"I think that sounds like a great idea," Dale said. "Anyone have a flashlight for miss NYU?'

"Here," T-Dog held his flashlight out to me, and I took it.

"I can't read and hold it at the same side," I said. I turned to Carl. "Want to hold the flashlight for me?"

"Sure," Carl grinned. He held the flashlight in his small hands, and pointed it at the book. I cleared my throat, and began to read.

The days turned into weeks, each consisting of about the same. I woke up and got ready for the day with Lori and Carl. We would find something to pass as breakfast, and help Carl do some studying. Then we went about chores for the majority of the day. I left the hunting to Merle and Daryl, never venturing outside of the camp. Once the sun had set, we would gather around the fire and I would read from The Hobbit. But I was getting restless. My reprieve came in the form of a supply run.

"Are you sure you want to go back there?" Lori asked me as I tied my shoes. "Whenever someone asks you about how your survived, you never give them a straight answer."

"That's because I don't have a straight answer," I said, pulling my hair into a ponytail. "I know the city pretty well. Not as well as Glenn, I'll admit, but I can help. I'm tired of sitting around camp."

"Just be careful," Lori said tersely as we walked out of the tent, "Carl's grown rather fond of you."

"And you haven't?" I teased, scrunching my nose. Lori elbowed me with a grin.

"You've been a good friend," she said. We joined the crowd gathered by the RV.

"So, we got Glenn, T-Dog, Andrea, Morales, Jacqui, and Katie," Shane said, turning to glance at each person in turn. "That should be plenty to restock on supplies. We'll be able to hold out until-"

"You forgot me," Merle said as he walked up to the group. "I'm going to."

"If he's going I'm not going," T-Dog muttered under his breath, and I nodded fervently.

"Oh, c'mon!" Merle snapped. "I was military. Ya'll need some strong leadership to keep you safe. Ain't that right, Katie?"

"I vote Glenn for fearless leader," I said with a scowl, adjusting the handle of my machete, "or Morales or T-Dog. Just not you, Merle."

"Why not?" Merle asked, his chin jutting out. "What I ever do to piss you off?"

"Plenty," I said, my lip twitching into a momentary smirk.

"Morales, you're in charge," Shane said firmly, "and don't do anything to get yourselves killed. Be smart. Be watchful. Get back safe."

"Aye aye, Captain," I said with a mock salute. Shane rolled his eyes. I glanced at Carl and Lori, the first looking amused. I ruffled his hair. "Want anything special?"

"Comics would be nice," he said with a shrug.

"I'll see what I can do," I smiled. I glanced at Lori, and she gave me a nod. I nodded back, and followed the group as they made their way out of the camp. T-Dog and Morales took the lead while Andrea and Jacqui walked behind them, talking in lowered voices. Glenn and I trailed behind them. Merle brought up the rear, his rifle slung over his back.

"Are you still glad that I brought you to camp?" Glenn asked as we trudged down the trail.

"Yeah, it's nice to have company," I said. I shot a glance back at Merle and lowered my voice. "Well, _most_ of the company is fine."

"Has he…" Glenn trailed off. I stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I think I know what you mean, and no, he hasn't," I reassured him. I glanced down at the ground and muttered under my breath, "he tried though."

"Sorry, didn't catch that last part," Glenn said with a quizzical expression. I waved it off, and we chatted lightly as we made it into town. We huddled together by a post office.

"I was thinking we could try the department store," Morales said. "It doesn't look like it's been looted."

"I can get us there," Glenn nodded.

"Well hop to it, Mr. Miyagi," Merle said, grinning at his own joke. I opened my mouth to snap at him, but Glenn grabbed my hand. He shook his head. The rest of us followed Glenn along a path winding through alleyways and side streets. We finally made it into the department store, through the storage room in the back.

"You guys stay here, I'm going to go look for more places," Glenn said as the others wandered around the store.

"Oh no you don't," I said. "You're not going back out there alone. I'm coming with you."

"Are you sure?" Glenn asked. I glanced pointedly from Merle to Glenn, and he nodded. "Alright, let's go."

"Hold up," Morales said. "One of you have a walkie talkie?"

"I do," Glenn said, holding up the radio.

"Ok. Be safe out there," Morales nodded. Glenn and I headed back outside.

"Where to?" I asked. Glenn rubbed his chin. He pointed down the alley.

"That way," he said. "We can go up the stairs and across the roof. That way we can spot anything good."

"Or bad," I commented as we mounted the stairs. We headed outside. I reached out and grabbed Glenn's arm. "Hang on a second."

"What is it?" Glenn asked, his shoulders tensing. I pointed across the street.

"I bet that place has comic books," I said, indicating the bookstore. "I promised Carl I'd look for some."

"We need to get in and out fast, not dink around in bookstores," Glenn frowned. I grinned at him, pulling out my machete. I ran across the street. "Hey!"

There were a few walkers in sight, but by the time they caught my scent, I was in the bookstore. It was empty, with books strewn across the floor and a few bookcases tilted at odd angles. I crept along the edge of the store, and walked to the comic book section. No one had felt the need to take any, so there were plenty of comics to choose from. I grabbed a Batman comic, along with a Superman and Spiderman comic for good measure. I tucked them into my bag. I stilled as I heard something shuffling in the next aisle. I tiptoed around the bookcase, and saw a walker stumbling through the sci-fi and fantasy section.

"Appropriate," I muttered. The walker turned at my voice, and growled as its dead eyes latched onto mine. It ambled forward, reaching out for me. I tightened my grip on my machete, and stabbed it into the walkers' forehead. It slumped to the floor as whatever life it had was snuffed out. I braced my foot on the walker's shoulder and pulled the machete out. I wiped the blade clean on its dress. I hurried back to the store entrance, and looked outside. Two walkers were shuffling just outside of the bookstore. I was wondering if I should wait in the store when they both turned and started groaning. They walked towards me, so I launched myself out of the store. My machete went into the side of one walker's head while I kicked the other. I pulled my machete out and stabbed the second one just as it made to grab me. It missed by an inch, and shuttered as the machete made contact with bone. I sprinted across the street, to where Glenn was waiting.

"Holy shit!" Glenn squeaked. "That was crazy!"

"I lived here for a month. I can handle it," I said with an impish grin. As I cleaned the blade on someone's lost jacket, Glenn's awed expression dissolved into a frown.

"That was the stupidest thing I've ever seen someone do," he said. I tucked my machete away and shrugged.

"This area's pretty quiet," I said. I reached out and gripped his shoulder. "I'm ok, that's all that matters."

"Promise me you won't be so reckless," Glenn said. His frown deepened as I winked at him. "Promise!"

"I promise," I sighed, holding my hands up in defeat. Glenn eyed me for a moment before heading down the alleyway. He lead me through the nearby buildings. I followed him from one rooftop to the next, relying on his keen sense of direction. I stopped suddenly, grabbing his arm.

"Ow! What?" Glenn hissed. I held my finger up to my lips for silence. "What is it?"

"I thought I heard…" I trailed off uncertainly. My thoughts were interrupted by a loud whinny. Glenn and I stared at each other.

"Is that…" his eyes grew wide, "a horse?"


	2. Chapter 1 - Guts

**A/N** Here's the bulk of 1x2 (Guts) from Katie's POV. I'm literally compiling a list of all the episodes and figuring out which ones I should use in my story, so the way I tell Katie's story might change as I write more. I'm also not used to writing 1st person with internal dialogue - I usually write bare bones 3rd person, so that might take some tweaking. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please let me know about any comments, questions, or concerns.

* * *

"Ok, I have a few questions," I said as we hurried over to the roof ledge. "Why is there a horse here, and how the hell is it still alive?"

"It's not just the horse. Look," Glenn pointed down the street. I braced my hands on the ledge, and leaned forward. Walkers were gathered around one of the military blockades that had been abandoned for over a month. They were focused at one point - a man on top of a horse. The horse bucked and reared away from the walkers, and the man shot at them. He disappeared from view as the walkers took down the horse.

"Oh shit!" I breathed, putting my hand over my mouth. "What do we do?"

"Nothing," Glenn shrugged. "There's no way he-"

"Wait! By the tank!" I tugged at Glenn's arm. We both leaned forward and watched as the man crawled under the tank.

"He is so dead," Glenn shook his head.

"There's got to be a hatch under the tank," I said. I reached into Glenn's backpack and pulled out the radio. "C'mon, try it!"

"Why me?" Glenn asked.

"I get anxious talking on the phone," I admitted, shoving the radio into his hand. Glenn rolled his eyes and clicked the talk button.

"Hey you. Dumbass," Glenn said flatly into the radio, "Yeah you in the tank. Cozy in there?"

"You're not very nice," I teased. Glenn shrugged at me, and we waited. The seconds ticked by.

"Hey, you alive in there?" Glenn asked, dropping some of his sarcasm.

"Hello? Hello?" A man's gruff voice sounded over the radio. I pumped my fist into the air in victory, and Glenn let out a relieved sigh.

"There you are," he said, "You had us wondering."

"Where are you? Outside? Can you see me right now?" the man asked in a rush.

"Yeah, I can see you," Glenn said, glancing over the rooftop. "You're surrounded by walkers. That's the bad news."

"There's good news?" he asked skeptically.

"No," Glenn admitted. I smacked his arm and he took his finger off of the talk button. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Your terrible bedside manner!" I snapped. We both grew silent as the man began to speak.

"Listen, whoever you are, I don't mind telling you, I'm a little concerned in here," the voice said, dripping with derision.

"Oh man, you should see from over here, you'd be having a major freakout," Glenn said, dodging another smack from me.

"Got any advice for me?" the man asked. Glenn and I exchanged a look.

"Yeah," Glenn nodded, holding the radio up to his mouth, "I'd say make a run for it."

"That's it, make a run for it?" the man questioned after a pause. Glenn took a breath before answering.

"My way's not as dumb as it sounds," Glenn said, "you got eyes on the outside here. There's one geek still up on the tank but the others have climbed down and joined the feeding frenzy where the horse went down. You with me so far?"

"So far."

"Ok," Glenn looked down at the street, narrowing his eyes against the harsh glare of the sun, "the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded, if you move now while they're distracted, you stand a chance. Got ammo?"

"Hang on," the man said, and the radio went silent. Glenn turned to me.

"You head back to the others while I go get him," he said.

"What? Are you kidding me?" I snorted. "I'm not letting you wander after him alone. I have a gun, remember? I'll be your backup."

"What if this guy's another Merle?" Glenn asked, and I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I don't want you around anyone like that."

"Well I'm stuck with the original, so why not add another?" I sighed, "I can take care of myself."

Glenn looked like he wanted to say more, but he shut his mouth as the radio crackled into life.

"I got a beretta with one clip, fifteen rounds," the man informed us.

"Make 'em count," Glenn said darkly. "Jump off the right side of the tank, keep going that direction. There's an alley up the street, maybe 50 yards. Be there."

"Hey, what's your name?" the man asked, "Who's with you?"

"Have you been listening? You're running out of time," Glenn said exasperatedly. He shoved the radio into his backpack and grabbed my hand, "C'mon!"

We ran across the rooftop, metal clanking under our feet. Over that sound, I could hear gunshots. Glenn lead me on a seemingly random path to the street, and I marveled at his memory. We ran down the alleyway, Glenn just a few inches ahead of me. He stopped suddenly, and I slammed into him. I looked up to see a man standing at the entrance of the alleyway, pointing a gun at Glenn's face. He was a little taller than Glenn, and was wearing a sheriff's uniform. His brown hair was matted down with sweat, which was dripping into his bright blue eyes. I pulled my gun out and pointed it at him. Glenn held his arm out in front of me.

"Whoa, not dead!" Glenn yelled. The man looked at me. We stared at each other for a fraction of a second before we both lowered our guns. "C'mon, c'mon!"

Glenn grabbed the back of my tanktop and shoved me into the alley. He prompted me to run with a shove of his hand, and I pumped my arms to gain momentum. Gunshots reverberated as the sheriff shot down the walkers behind us.

"Faster! C'mon!" Glenn shouted. He ran to a ladder on the side of the building. Not knowing that was the destination, I kept running. Glenn grabbed my arm, and I skidded to a halt, dropping to my knees. He pulled me up and jabbed his finger at the ladder. I started to climb. I could hear the metal clang as he grabbed onto the rungs below me. The shooting stopped. I looked down, and saw the man staring at his empty gun. Walkers were closing in. Glenn shouted at him, "What are you doing? Come on!"

I climbed as fast as I could, my lungs burning. I hauled myself onto a metal landing several feet off of the ground. I crawled on my knees at first, and then I pushed myself to my feet. I turned and offered my hand to Glenn. He stepped up onto the landing, and he turned to the stranger while I took a step back to give them room. Glenn reached out.

"Get in!" he called frantically, grabbing the man's arm and hauling him up. We were all on the landing. The two men gripped the railing as they caught their breath, while I leaned heavily on Glenn. He didn't seem to mind. He turned to the newcomer, "Nice moves there Clint Eastwood. You the new sheriff, come riding in to clean up the town?"

"Wasn't my intention," the man huffed back. His voice was deep and gravelly, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end. I took a breath and stepped away from Glenn, putting my hands on my hips to stay balanced.

"Yeah, whatever, yeeha," Glenn drawled sarcastically. He turned to the man, "You're still a dumbass."

"Rick," the man introduced himself, holding out his hand, "Thanks."

"Glenn," he returned the gesture after a brief moment of sizing Rick up, "You're welcome."

"Thank you too, miss," Rick turned to me, holding his hand out. I wiped my palm across my thigh, hoping to get off most of the sweat. I took his hand, trying to ignore the lurching feeling in my stomach. He just had to be handsome.

"Katie Novak, at your service," I said with a theatrical bow that I quickly regretted in my winded state. I rested my elbow on Glenn's shoulder for support. "Jesus, I did not sign up for all of this extra running."

"Oh no," Glenn groaned suddenly. The three of us looked down the ladder. One of the many walkers crowded at the bottom had figured out how to climb. We simultaneously turned our glances to the section of ladder above us, which seemed to go on forever. Glenn glanced at Rick, "Bright side, it'll be the fall that kills us. I'm a glass half full kind of guy."

With that, Glenn began to climb the ladder. I waited for Rick to go, but he shook his head at me. I walked past him to the ladder, and gripped the rungs. I climbed after Glenn, mentally reprimanding myself for wondering if Rick was looking at my ass. It really wasn't the time for such frivolous thinking. It took a couple of minutes to reach the top. Once I did, Glenn helped me up. I turned to do the same for Rick. I offered my hand, and he took it. I pulled, which helped him gain momentum. He stepped onto the roof, and let go of my hand. We both followed Glenn. There was a narrower pathway between two sections of the roof.

"You the one that barricaded the alley?" Rick asked as we walked across the pathway. Glenn hopped up onto the second section of the roof.

"Somebody did," Glenn said as I stepped onto the roof after him. Rick followed suit, and we began to jog across the roof, "I guess when the city got overrun, whoever did it was thinking, not many geeks can get through."

"Back at the tank, why'd you stick your neck out for me?" Rick asked as Glenn crouched down next to a hatch on the roof. He pulled the cover open, and glanced at me with a barely visible smile. He took his backpack off.

"Call it foolish, naive hope," Glenn explained while dropping his backpack down the hatch, "that if I'm ever that far up shit creek, somebody might do the same for me," Glenn lowered himself down into the hatch before continuing, "guess I'm an even bigger dumbass than you. But the real reason probably has something to do with Katie making me do it."

"I didn't make you do it, I just handed you the radio," I said lightly as Glenn climbed down the hatch. I turned to Rick, who gave me a smile.

"I appreciate it, Katie," Rick said, patting my arm. "You can go first."

"Alright," I nodded at him. I kept my messenger bag on as I made my way down the ladder. I heard Rick follow, and we were soon smothered in darkness as he closed the hatch. I pushed down the fear that came from being in such a cramped, dark place. Soon I was at the end of the ladder. I stepped onto the ground as Glenn picked up his backpack. We were in an abandoned office building. We ran across the room to the exit on the other side. Glenn shoved the door opened and we stepped out onto a stairwell. Glenn pulled out the radio.

"We're back, got a guest, plus four geeks in the alley," he said in a rush. We ran down the stairs, and stopped at the bottom. The walkers dragged their feet towards us, mouths hanging open. I raised my machete and started to move, but Glenn grabbed my arm. The door across the alley swung open, and Morales and T-Dog jumped out, wearing what looked like umpire gear. The were each wielding a baseball bat and a crowbar, and started beating on the two nearest walkers. We ran for the door. Glenn kept his hand clamped on my arm, "Let's go!"

We ran inside, and I came to a halt by Jacqui and Andrea. Glenn and Rick were at my heels, followed by Morales and T-Dog. Morales shut the door behind him, and I let out a relieved sigh. I tensed up immediately as Andrea grabbed Rick and pushed him into a nearby crate. She pointed her gun in his face.

"Son of a bitch! We ought to kill you," Andrea seethed, gripping the front of Rick's shirt. He stared back fearfully. T-Dog and Morales began to take off their gear.

"Just chill out Andrea, back off!" he said as he stripped off the chest plate. I put my machete away, but I put my hand behind my back and touched my gun. I gritted my teeth.

"C'mon, ease up," Jacqui implored.

"Ease up? You're kidding me, right? We're dead because of this stupid asshole," Andrea said, her voice weighted with fear. Morales walked up to Andrea, standing behind her.

"Andrea! I said back the hell off," Morales snapped. Andrea kept the gun pointed at Rick's face, tears welling in her eyes. Rick remained still. Morales shed the last of his gear, "or pull the trigger."

"Andrea," the name crawled out of my mouth in a low growl. T-Dog and Jacqui watched me with worried expressions as I took a step towards Andrea, gripping my gun so hard behind me that my hand was shaking. Andrea lowered her gun, and stepped back. She looked at me, visibly distraught. She turned back to Rick and Morales.

"We're dead. All of us," her voice quivered as a tear slid down her cheek. She shook her head at Rick. "Because of you."

"I don't understand," Rick said, turning a confused look to each of us. Morales grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the other side of the room.

"Look. We came into the city to scavenge supplies," Morales said firmly as the rest of us followed. "You know what the key to scavenging is?" he shoved Rick, "Surviving it. You know what the key to surviving is? Sneaking in and out. Tiptoeing. Not shooting up the streets like its the OK Corral."

"Every geek from miles around heard you poppin' off rounds!" T-Dog exclaimed as we stood in the department store, staring at the entrance. Walkers were plastered against the glass doors, scratching and moaning to get in. There were so many that they created a solid wall.

"You just rang the dinner bell," Andrea said. Rick was staring at the door, the realization of what he'd done etched on his face.

"Get the picture now?" Morales asked venomously. One of the walkers had picked up a rock, and started to bang it on the glass. There was a loud cracking noise as glass fractured under the rock.

"Oh god!" Andrea gasped. We all instinctively stepped back, putting several clothes racks in between us and the walkers. Andrea turned to Rick, "what the hell were you doing out there anyway?"

"Trying to flag the helicopter," Rick replied, his eyes still on the walkers.

"Helicopter? Man, that's crap," T-Dog snapped. "There ain't no damn helicopter!"

"You were chasing a hallucination, imagining things, it happens, "Jacqui tried to reassure Rick.

"I saw it," he said sternly. I placed my hand on Rick's shoulder.

"Well if you did see it, it's long gone by now," I told him. He turned his glower on me, and I lowered my hand.

"Hey T-Dog, try that CB," Morales said. "Can you contact the others?"

"Others? The refugee center?" Rick asked hopefully. Jacqui raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, the refugee center, they got biscuits waiting out of the oven for us," she said, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Got no signal. Maybe the roof?" T-Dog glanced up at the ceiling. Just as the words left his mouth, gunshots sounded from above. My heart sank.

"Oh no, was that Dixon?" Andrea groaned. She and the others headed for the back of the store with much grumbling. I waited for Glenn and Rick. Rick was looking hesitantly at the store entrance.

"Come on, let's go!" Glenn beckoned him on, and we followed the others down the hallway and into the stairwell. There was much clanging and thumping as everyone ran up the stairs. Morales was up front, and he reached the door first. He opened it and stepped outside. He hurried forward while the rest of us followed. Merle was standing on the roof ledge, snipping walkers. This would be the perfect time to shove him off the roof, if I felt so inclined.

"Hey Dixon, are you crazy?" Morales shouted as he ran towards Merle. Merle let out a heartfelt laugh.

"Goddammit!" I muttered under my breath, pulling my gun out and holding it by my side. After firing a few more rounds, Merle turned to us.

"Ha! Hey, you oughta be more polite to a man with a gun, huh?" he lowered his gun, and jumped down from the ledge and onto the rooftop. My stomach tightened as he trained his eyes on me. "Only common sense."

"Man you wasting bullets we ain't even got, man!" T-Dog yelled in frustration, jumping down to the lower level of the roof with Morales. "And you bring them all down here on our ass, man just chill!"

"Hey, bad enough I got this taco vendor on my ass all day, now I'm going to take orders from you?" Merle snarled, walking up to T-Dog. He stood a couple inches away from his face. "I don't think so, bro. That'll be the day."

"That'll be the day? You got something you want to tell me?" T-Dog asked with a snarl. Everyone stood by and watched. I sidled closer, not wanting to move fast enough to draw Merle's attention.

"Hey T-Dog man, just leave it," Morales pleaded. T-Dog held his hand up, keeping his eyes on Merle.

"No!" he said, his voice rising an octave in anger.

"It ain't worth it. Now Merle, just relax, ok? We got enough trouble," Morales said in a level voice. Rick looked like he wanted to intervene, but Glenn waved him down. I inched forward some more until I was just behind T-Dog.

"We don't need this right now, guys," I said in the calmest voice I could muster. I gripped T-Dog's shoulder, and he flinched under my touch, "Please, just take a breath."

"You want to know the day?" Merle asked, his voice dangerously low. His eyes bored into T-Dog's.

"Dammit you two, just stop!" I cried out, my voice shaking. T-Dog shrugged himself out from under my shoulder and took a step towards Merle.

"Yeah!" he yelled, seething with anger.

"I'll tell you the day, Mr. Yo," Merle said mockingly, throwing up what looked to be gang signs, "it's the day I take orders from a nigger!"

"Motherfucker!" T-Dog screamed. He took a swing at Merle, but Merle easily dodged it. He raised his rifle and smacked the butt of it into T-Dog's face. The group exploded with noise. I saw Rick run forward out of the corner of my eye. I ran in front of T-Dog and raised my gun, but Merle slapped it out of my hand. It clattered to the ground. Merle shoved me aside, and I fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of me.

"C'mon Merle, that's enough!" Morales yelled. Merle punched T-Dog, who staggered back. Rick ran up to him, reaching for his gun. Without missing a beat, Merle turned and clocked him. Rick crumpled to the ground. Merle turned back to T-Dog, and kicked him in the chest. T-Dog staggered, and finally fell when Merle punched his face. His head went crashing into a pipe, and he collapsed onto the ground, lying on his back. Merle started to kick him savagely while the others cried for him to stop. I pulled myself to my feet and, forgetting about my gun, ran and flung myself at Merle. He lurched under the sudden contact, but he shoved me off easily. He kneeled down and grabbed the collar of T-Dog's shirt. With the other hand, he began to punch his face mercilessly. Morales walked up behind him and grabbed his shoulder, receiving an elbow in the gut for his troubles. Merle reached behind him and pulled out his handgun, pointing it at T-Dog's face. Everyone grew silent.

"No no no, please!" Andrea whimpered. She stood a few feet behind T-Dog with Glenn and Jacqui. Morales stood behind Merle, watching in horror. I crawled forward until I was next to Merle. I grabbed his arm. He turned to glower at me. I didn't say anything, I just stared at him, hoping that all of my pleading thoughts would be evident on my face. Merle looked up at the others, and then down at T-Dog. He spat on him, and I let go. Merle let out a ferocious growl.

"Yeah! Alright!" he bellowed, standing up. I kneeled next to T-Dog, touching his face. He winced in pain. "We're gonna have ourselves a little pow wow, huh? Talk about who's in charge."

T-Dog began to struggle away from Merle and towards the rest of the group. Jacqui, Glenn, and Andrea helped pull him away.

"I vote me!" Merle continued. "Anybody else? Huh? Democracy time, ya'll." he raised his hand, "show of hands, huh? All in favor? Huh?"

Everyone remained silent. Jacqui took a washrag and began to tend to T-Dog. I stood up on shaky legs, only a foot or so away from Merle.

"Come on, let's see 'em!" he prompted. Morales slowly raised his hand. I held my arms out in an indignant gesture.

"Oh come on!" Andrea groaned, voicing my thoughts. Merle turned to look at me with a wolfish grin.

"Come here, honey," he said in a low voice.

"What?" I stared at him blankly. A ringing sound started in my ears.

"You heard me, come here," the smile was wiped from his face as he raised his gun. "I just want you over here, that's all."

"I hate you," I muttered under my breath. I took hesitant steps forward, until I was in reaching distance. Merle grabbed my arm with his free hand and pulled me up against him. Fear and disgust caused my breathing to grow erratic.

"That's right baby, come to papa," Merle growled, wrapping his arm around my middle. I turned away from him, staring at the ground. Merle pressed his face into the side of my neck, taking a deep breath. "Mmm, you're all mine now."

"Go fuck yourself," I snarled.

"I don't need to anymore," Merle chuckled. He licked along my neck, making me tremble. Merle gave me a squeeze before turning to the rest of the group, who all looked as disgusted as I felt, "All in favor? Yeah, huh."

Jacqui raised her hand, flipping Merle off at the same time. Glenn hesitantly raised his hand, his eyes on me. To my embarrassment, tears blurred my vision. Andrea reluctantly raised her hand as Jacqui lowered her own.

"That's good," Merle said. His voice reverberated with intensity, and I could feel the vibrations in my side, "Now, that means I'm the boss, right? Yeah. Anybody else, hmm? Anybody?"

"Yeah," a voice sounded from behind Merle. Merle turned, loosening his hold on me. As I pushed myself away from him, Rick smacked the butt of the rifle into Merle's face. Merle staggered and fell onto his back. I sat down not far from his feet, shaking. Rick kneeled down at Merle's side and put his knee on his face, forcing Merle to turn his head. Rick grabbed his hand, and clamped one handcuff onto his wrist. He cuffed Merle to the pipe that T-Dog's face had crashed into moments before. Rick grabbed Merle's shirtfront and hauled him into a sitting position.

"Who the hell are you, man?" Merle groaned. Rick leaned in close, still tightly gripping the front of his shirt.

"Officer Friendly," Rick sneared. He turned and grabbed Merle's gun, "Look here, Merle," Rick emptied the round in the chamber, and crouched next to Merle, "things are different now. There are no niggers anymore, no dumb as shit inbred white trash fools, either. Only dark meat and white meat. There's us, and there's the dead," as Rick spoke, he loaded the gun, "we survive this by pulling together, not apart."

"Screw you, man," Merle snapped.

"I can see you make it a habit of missing the point," Rick growled.

"Yeah, well screw you twice," Merle said, a smile twitching momentarily onto his lips. Rick pressed the barrel of the gun into Merle's temple.

"Oughta be polite to a man with a gun, only common sense," Rick said, a hint of a smile in his voice.

"You wouldn't. You're a cop," Merle said. Rick lowered the gun and leaned in.

"All I am anymore is a man looking for his wife and son. Anything that gets in the way of that's gonna lose. I'll give you a moment to think about that," Rick said dryly. He searched Merle's pockets, and pulled out a canister. Knowing Merle, is was probably cocaine. Rick held it for a moment before tilting Merle's chin up with his knuckle, "got something on your nose there," Rick flicked Merle's nose and stood up.

"What are you gonna do, arrest me? Hey!" Merle watched as Rick tossed the canister over the ledge. "Just what are you doing man, that's my stuff! Hey!"

Rick gave Merle a dispassionate look before walking away. He crouched down by me, and I instinctively looked away. Rick reached out and lightly touched my cheek, turning my head towards him. I looked into his eyes, and some of the tension in my body unwound itself.

"You alright?" Rick asked, his voice low and soft. I nodded. "May I help you up?"

"Sure," I said, my voice cracking. Rick placed one hand on the small of my back, and the other on my arm. It turned out that I needed his help; my legs were shaky, and I had to lean on him as I collected myself.

"If I get loose, you better pray!" Merle shouted, and I flinched. I stood up straight, but didn't move from Rick's side. He walked away from Merle and I followed. I glanced over and saw that Morales was just behind us. Merle continued his diatribe, "God! You hear me, you pig? You hear me?"

"Yeah, your voice carries," Rick muttered as he made a beeline for the ledge.

"You filthy pig!" Merle yelled as we got further away. He threw out some more profanity as Rick leaned against the ledge. His right hand was shaking, so he gripped it with the other, rubbing his thumb deep into the palm. I leaned against the ledge to his right, also shaking. I wrapped my arms around my middle and stared out with unseeing eyes. Morales stood on the other side.

"You're not Atlanta PD. Where you from?" he asked. Rick hesitated.

"Up the road aways," he finally answered. Morales chuckled.

"Well Officer Friendly, from up the road aways, welcome to the big city," he said sardonically. Walkers shuffled aimlessly around the street, their moans and growls reaching us all they way up on the roof. Rick ran his hand over his face with a tired sigh.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked. I looked up, and saw that he and Morales were both watching me.

"Yes, I'm fine," I grumbled, wondering how much of a lie that was. "Worse things have happened to me."

"Because of him?" Morales asked. I rolled my eyes.

"The worse he's done is grab me," I said, rubbing my neck. "Merle's not the only jackoff I've met."

"I'm sorry," Rick said quietly, gripping my hand. I remained still, glancing at him through lowered lashes. I'm not sure what he saw on my face, but he removed his hand and cleared his throat. I turned around and leaned against the ledge, the cement scraping against my back. Jacqui and Andrea were looking over the ledge.

"God, it's like Times Square down there," Andrea said. Morales started to walk back to the rest of the group, and Rick followed after giving me another look.

"How's that signal?" Morales asked as he and Rick walked over to T-Dog. He was propped up against the roof ledge, fiddling with the radio. Rick walked over to Andrea and looked out over the ledge. I took a deep breath and walked towards the group.

"Like Dixon's brain. Weak," T-Dog smirked. Merle flipped him off with a smug grin on his face.

"Keep trying," Morales said. As I walked by Merle, he made a kissing noise. I kept my gaze focused forward as I joined the others at the ledge.

"Why? There's nothing they can do, not a damn thing," Andrea huffed in frustration, stepping away from the ledge. Morales turned to Rick.

"Got some people outside the city is all," he said, his face falling, "there's no refugee center. That's a pipe dream."

"Then she's right, we're on our own," Rick said. He turned to look at everyone, "Up to us to find a way out."

"Good luck with that. These streets ain't safe in this part of town from what I hear," Merle drawled. He turned to Andrea, who was kneeling next to her backpack, rummaging through the pocket, "ain't that right sugar tits?" Andrea glanced up, "Hey, honey buns, what say you get me out of these cuffs, we go off somewhere and bump some uglies. Gonna die anyway."

"I'd rather," Andrea sighed. She zipped up the backpack and stood back up.

"Rug muncher. Figured as much," Merle muttered.

"Streets ain't safe," Morales repeated, his glance switching between Rick and I, "now that's an understatement."

"What about under the streets? The sewers?" Rick said suddenly. All my thoughts of Merle were wiped out of my head. Morales' eyes widened.

"Oh man," he turned to Glenn, "Hey Glenn, check the alley. You see any manhole covers?"

Glenn ran across the roof, metal clanging under his shoes. He leaned over the ledge, looking down at the alley. After a moment, he turned and jogged back.

"No. Must be all out on the street where the geeks are," he huffed as he came to a stop.

"Maybe not," Jacqui said, her eyes lighting up, "Old building like this, built in the '20's, big structures often had drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of flooding. Down in the sub-basements."

"How do you know that?" Glenn asked.

"It's my job," Jacqui stated. Her face fell as she corrected herself, "was. I worked in the city zoning office."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," I said with a shrug. Rick nodded at me, and turned to T-Dog.

"You stay here and keep an eye on Merle," he said. "We'll go find the sewer."

"Fine with me," T-Dog sighed with a grimace of pain. Rick headed for the stairwell, and the others followed. I stopped, and looked around the roof. My gun was a few feet away from T-Dog and Merle. I walked over to it and picked it up, checking it for damage.

"Hey brown eyes, why don't you let me out of here?" Merle asked, tugging at the handcuffs. "We ain't finished yet."

"Yes, we are," I yelled, stomping over to Merle. I held my gun in both hands, pointing it between Merle's eyes.

"Katie, don't!" T-Dog said, holding his hand out. I ignored him. I felt like my blood was on fire.

"We're going to have a little chat," I seethed, my anger making the gun rattle as my hands shook. "We are finished, ok? There is nothing happening between us, and there never will be. You are a piece of shit. A rapist. And I will have absolutely nothing to do with your sorry ass. If you harass me one more time, you're getting a bullet in the head. Have I made myself clear?"

"You don't have it in ya," Merle sneered. I flipped the gun in my hand, holding it by the barrel. I pistol whipped him, the impact sending the back of his head into the pipe. I kneeled down in front of him as he moaned angrily, blood dripping from the cut across his nose.

"Have I made myself clear?" I asked. My voice didn't sound like it belonged to me. I studied Merle's face. He finally looked at me, and jerked his head in a way that looked like a nod of assent. I stood up and tucked my gun into the back of my jeans. "Good. It better stay that way."

"Whatever," Merle grumbled. I spun around and ran to the stairwell, my knees shaking. I jumped down the stairs two at a time, almost falling on my ass a couple of times. I walked out to the department store, and saw Jacqui standing at the far end.

"Where've you been?" she asked as I jogged over to her. "They're waiting for us."

"Sorry, Merle was just pissing me off," I said. Jacqui raised her eyebrow at me but kept quiet as she lead me to the others. Glenn had found what must be the sub-basement, and the others were gathered around a square hole in the floor, with a ladder leading down. I leaned over the railing, and saw that there was a pathway leading ahead of us, with water on the ground. The others leaned on the railing as well, pointing their flashlights at the tunnel entrance.

"This is it? You sure?" Morales asked.

"I really scoped this place out the other times I was here, it's the only thing in the building that goes down...But I've never gone down it. Who'd want to, right?" Glenn grimaced as he looked down the tunnel. In unison, everyone turned their heads to stare at Glenn. The sight was almost comical. Glenn stared back with a crestfallen expression, "Oh. Great."

"We'll be right behind you," Andrea reassured him in a soothing voice.

"No, you won't," Glenn said firmly. "Not you."

"Why not me?" Andrea asked, both eyebrows shooting up in consternation. "Think I can't?"

"Wasn't…" Glenn grew silent, averting his gaze to the floor. Rick reached out and gripped his shoulder.

"Speak your mind," he said in a kind voice. Glenn hedged for a moment, his glance jumping from one person to the next.

"Look. Until now, I always came here by myself, in and out, grab a few things, no problem. First time I bring a group, everything goes to hell, no offense. If you want me to go down the smelly hole, fine. But only if we do it my way," Rick nodded his agreement, "it's tight down there. If I run into something and I need to get out quick, I don't want you all jammed up behind me, gettin' me killed. I'll take one person."

Rick turned towards Glenn, opening his mouth to presumably volunteer. Glenn held his hand up.

"Not you either. You've got Merle's gun and I've seen you shoot, I'd feel better if you're out in that store watching those doors, covering our ass," Glenn said. Rick inclined his head. Glenn pointed at Andrea and I, "You two have the only other guns, so you should go with him."

"Sounds good," I said in a croaky voice, Andrea bobbing her head in agreement. Glenn pointed to Morales next.

"You be my wingman. Jacqui stays here. Something happens, yell down to us, get us back up here in a hurry," Glenn said. Jacqui twisted the end of her flashlight, and the bulb flickered off.

"Ok," she said. Rick surveyed the group, weighing their determination with his level gaze.

"Ok," he turned to Glenn. "Everybody knows their jobs."

Rick gave Glenn's shoulder an encouraging pat, and Glenn nodded at him. He put the end of his flashlight in his mouth, clamping down with his teeth. He lowered himself onto the ladder and climbed down. Morales followed once Glenn was close to the bottom. The railing pressed into my stomach as I leaned forward. Glenn and Morales reached the ground, and stared down the sewer tunnel.

"Good luck!" I said. Glenn looked up and forced a smile. Someone grabbed my elbow, and I turned to see Rick standing behind me.

"Let's go," he said. I pushed away from the railing, and followed Rick and Andrea to the storefront. Walkers pounded against the doors with their decaying hands. I reached back and brushed my fingers against the grip of my gun.

"That's disturbing," I sighed. Andrea gave me a quizzical look. "Just...Walkers. Even after everything I've been through, I can't believe there are dead people walking around."

"It's pretty strange," Andrea said, wrinkling her nose. We grew silent as I stared at the entrance. The others gravitated further into the store. A hesitant smile crept onto Andrea's face as she turned to Rick. "Sorry for the gun in your face."

"People do things when they're afraid," Rick said. I moved away from the doors and walked over to them.

"Not that it wasn't entirely unjustified. You did get us into this," Andrea said dryly. She walked over the jewelry counter, and inspected the items on display. Rick leaned against the far end of the counter, surveying the store with a furrowed brow. I joined Andrea, and picked up a silver bracelet that was sitting on the counter.

"If I get us out, would that make up for it?" Rick asked.

"No," Andrea admitted, her voice quiet, "but it'd be a start."

"It's not like he did it on purpose," I muttered under my breath. Rick and Andrea both looked over at me as I let the silver bracelet roll over my fingers. I tossed it back onto the counter.

"Next time though, take the safety off," Rick said to Andrea, and she glanced down at her gun, "Won't shoot otherwise."

"Oh," Andrea's mouth twitched into an embarrassed grimace. I nudged her with my elbow and smiled.

"Is that your gun?" Rick asked her, tucking the gun he took from Merle into the back of his pants.

"It was a gift. Why?" Andrea watched hesitantly as Rick walked over to her. He held out his hand. Once he was close enough, Andrea gave him the gun. His thumb slid over a button on the side.

"Little red dot means it's ready to fire," he said, holding the gun out. "You may have occasion to use it."

"Good to know," Andrea said with a bob of her head. She put her gun away, her eyes roving over the jewelry counter.

"Do you know how to use a gun?" Rick asked. There was a stretch of silence, and I glanced up from my mindless trance.

"Me?" I questioned, straightening my posture. My elbows tickled as the skin pulled away from the glass.

"Yeah you," Rick grinned. I ducked my head, my cheeks flushing. Dammit Katie.

"When you're surrounded by walkers twenty-four seven, you pick up a few things," I said with a toss of my hair. "I'm a quick learner."

"That's good," Rick said. "You can't let this new world beat you down. You have to be ready."

"Who would have thought things would come to this," I said, more to myself than to him. A sudden rush of emotions bubbled up, and I turned my head abruptly, leaning back against the counter. I rested my head on my hand, and stared at a fixed point behind the counter. I was distracted when Andrea reached out and touched a mermaid necklace on display. The pendant was green and gold, and barely covered her fingers as she lifted it up.

"Hmm," she mumbled quietly to herself, a sudden warmth lighting up her features. I could see Rick studying her out of the corner of my eye. He walked back over, settling in the spot between us. I shuffled to the side to give him more room.

"See something you like?" Rick asked softly.

"Not me, but, I know someone who would," Andrea said. I peered closer at the necklace, as I found myself suddenly smiling.

"Amy," I said, the word a barely audible murmur. Andrea glanced at me, confirming my guess with a smile. She glanced at Rick.

"My sister," she explained. "She's still such a kid in some ways. Unicorns, dragons. She's into all that stuff, but mermaids, they rule. She loves mermaids."

"Why not take it?" Rick asked with a devilish grin. I couldn't help by watch him closely as he looked at her. With most people, I can get a read on them quickly. But Rick was different. He was tough and stoic, but warm at the same time. I folded my arms across my chest and dug my nails into my upper arms to keep focused.

"There's a cop staring at me," Andrea pointed out in a flat drawl. Rick chuckled, which made me dig my nails in even harder. Now wasn't the time to think about him that way. Andrea looked at Rick with a thoughtful expression. "Would it be considered looting?"

"Don't think those rules apply anymore," Rick said, the humor leaving his eyes. "Do you?"

Andrea looked at him for a moment before looking back at the necklace. She took it off of the display, smiled at Rick, and put the necklace in her pocket. I turned so my back was to the counter, and braced my hands on the glass. With some effort, I hauled myself up, the heels of my boots clanking against the counter. Rick studied me for a moment, and I could have sworn his eyes stopped at other places besides my face.

"How long has your group been together?" Rick asked, resting one of his hands on his gun holster.

"The camp was established about...two weeks after shit hit the fan," Andrea guessed. "Katie showed up later."

"I've been with you guys for a month, right?" I tilted my head to the side. "It's been two months since the outbreak."

"Really?" Rick's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I can't believe it's been that long."

"Which means we're on our own," I said hollowly. Rick frowned at me. "If there was going to be military or Red Cross intervention, or some kind of cure, it would have happened by now."

"Don't say that," Rick said in a low voice, taking a step towards me. Sitting on the counter made me exactly his height, and his blue eyes bored into mine, making my stomach do a summersault. "Who knows how long it could take to find a cure. I'm sure they're working on it. There's still hope."

"She has a point," Andrea admitted. "If there was some semblance of government or structure, they probably would have gotten communication systems back up."

"See?" I said, pointing at Andrea. Rick's frown deepened. I reached out and placed my hand on his forearm. "But you're right, there's still hope."

"Yes there is," Rick said firmly. His skin felt hot under my hand. Seemingly of its own will, my thumb rubbed against his arm. He gave me a curious look, and I lowered my hand, tucking it into my pocket. I cleared my throat, ignoring the amused look Andrea was giving me. I reached into my bag and pulled out the Batman comic for Carl. I leafed through the pages, colors flashing before my eyes.

"Did you find any fantasy comics? Amy might like those," Andrea asked. I shook my head, sneaking a glance at Rick from under my hair. He had a wistful expression.

"Dammit!" I exclaimed suddenly, making the other two jump. "I should have seen if they had copies of Lord of the Rings. What am I going to read to everyone once I finish The Hobbit?"

"Dale might have some books in the RV," Andrea shrugged. Rick leaned forward, peering at the comic book's cover. I closed it and held it up for him to see.

"My son likes superhero comics," Rick said with a fond smile.

"That's funny. This is for-" I stopped abruptly as a loud crash came from the entrance. I shoved the comic back into my bag and jumped off of the counter. A series of crashes followed the first as the walkers broke through the first set of glass doors. Their moans and howls increased as they neared their goal. Rick drew his gun and hurried forward, Andrea close behind him. I hurried after them, and clutched Andrea's sleeve out of fear. At that moment, Morales, Glenn, and Jacqui ran in. Morales came to a halt next to Rick. I caught Glenn's eye, my heart sinking at the slight shake of his head he directed at me.

"What'd you find out there?" Rick asked, raising his voice over the clamor and lowering his gun.

"Not a way out," Morales informed us. I closed my eyes briefly in frustration. I let go of Andrea and ran my hand through my hair.

"We need to find a way. Soon," Andrea said darkly.

"I think we should head back to the roof, try and look for an alternative route from a better vantage point," I suggested, looking at Rick. He turned his head and nodded at me.

"Good idea," he said. He turned around headed for the back of the store, followed closely by the rest of us. Glenn and I took up the rear. I gave him a quick one-armed hug.

"I was worried about you," I said, trying to ignore the way my voice shook.

"You don't need to worry about me," Glenn said as we mounted the stairs. "The only person you need to worry about is Merle. Stick close to me or Rick, ok?"

"I'm fine," I lied, gripping my machete handle. "He's a little tied up at the moment. See what I did there?"

"Yes I did," Glenn rolled his eyes. We followed the group out onto the roof, where T-Dog was still leaning against the ledge. Merle was slouched by the pipe, making a halfhearted effort to wiggle his hand out of the cuffs. Looking at him felt like watching a tiger pace back and forth in a poorly constructed cage. He watched us all head to the ledge. Morales handed Rick a pair of binoculars, and the sheriff surveyed the street below, and the surrounding buildings.

"No luck then, Miss Piggy?" Merle called, grinning at the back of Rick's head. I could see the muscles in Rick's shoulder and back tighten under the tan fabric of his shirt, but he remained silent. Merle turned his gaze on me, and my stomach felt cold. "What about you, sweet cheeks? Miss me?"

"Just ignore him," Glenn hissed into my ear. I followed his advice and leaned against the ledge, gripping it tightly. The cement dug into my palms. Rick lowered one of his hands from the binoculars, and lowered it onto the ledge. It rested on my hand instead. I made to move it, assuming it was an accident, but Rick squeezed my hand. He lowered the binoculars and handed them to Morales. He removed his hand from mine and pointed down the street.

"That construction sight. Those trucks, they always keep keys on hand." Rick said. Morales looked through the binoculars, and then down at the walkers below.

"They'll never make it past the walkers," Morales sighed, handing the binoculars back to Rick. Rick stepped away from the ledge.

"You got me out of that tank," he said with a nod to Glenn.

"Yeah, but they were feeding, they were distracted," Glenn said quickly as he walked closer to Rick.

"Can we distract them again?" Rick asked.

"Right!" Merle piped up. "Listen to him, he's on to something. A diversion, like on Hogan's Heroes."

"God, give it a rest," Jacqui seethed.

"They're drawn by sound, right?" Rick asked, ignoring Merle.

"Right, like dogs," Glenn said. "They hear sound, they come."

"What else?" Rick asked, and I could almost see the cogs spinning in his head.

"Aside from they hear you?" Morales said with a skeptical expression. "They see you, they smell you. If they catch you, they eat you."

"They can tell us by smell?" Rick asked, his nose wrinkling in thought.

"Can't you?" Glenn asked with an incredulous expression.

"They smell dead, we don't, it's pretty distinct," Andrea pointed out. Rick grew silent, a pensive look passing over his face. I ran my hand over my hair, smoothing it down.

"Please tell me you're not thinking what I'm thinking," I sighed. "That's just gross."

"What?" Glenn's confused look shifted from me to Rick. Rick rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding his gaze. He turned to me instead.

"Do we have any other options?" Rick raised his hand helplessly. I gave a reluctant shrug and headed for the stairwell.

"I'm lost," Glenn admitted. I waited by the door as the others followed with perplexed looks. I let Rick take the lead. He shot me an apologetic grin as he passed me.

"This better work," I muttered to myself. Rick waited until he was leading everyone to the storefront to share his plan.

"We need walker guts," he said as nonchalantly as the situation allowed. "It'll help us get past the walkers."

"If bad ideas were an Olympic event, this would take the gold," Glenn said exasperatedly, watching Rick grab several pairs of rubber gloves. He began to dole them out. I took a pair reluctantly.

"He's right, just stop, ok?" Morales pleaded, walking over to Rick. "Take some time to think this through."

"How much time? They already got through one set of doors, that glass won't hold forever," Rick said gruffly, grabbing a tan trenchcoat from a rack. He tossed it at Glenn. I walked over to them and grabbed a coat, shrugging it on over my clothes.

"I can go grab one of the walkers from the alley," I offered, buttoning up the coat. I tore the gloves off of the little plastic hook they were connected to, and slipped them on.

"No, I'll do it," Rick said as he put on a tan coat. "It was my idea."

"You'll need help," Morales pointed out, pulling on his own gear. "I'll go with you."

"Thanks," Rick said. He glanced at me. "Everyone wait in the back of the store. Glenn, Andrea, you two cover us while we grab a dead walker."

"Fun," Glenn groaned. Rick walked amongst the racks, until he found what he was looking for. He grabbed a plastic face shield, and handed it to me. I tucked it under my arm as he headed for the door. Glenn and Andrea followed Rick and Morales, wielding a baseball bat and a crowbar. I walked with T-Dog and Jacqui to the back storage room.

"We look pretty great," I said sarcastically, holding up a clumsy gloved hand. T-Dog tugged at the collar of his coat.

"How'd you know Rick wanted to do this?" Jacqui asked me. I scuffed my shoe along the ground.

"The walkers don't pay attention to each other," I shrugged. "I guess they only like how we smell. And taste, I suppose."

"Who the hell would wanna volunteer for that?" T-Dog exclaimed with a shake of his head. The door to the room creaked open, and we watched as Rick and Morales dragged in the dead body, Andrea holding open the door. Glenn followed, looking rather green.

"This is disgusting," Glenn said in a quick breath, turning his head away from the body. The stench of death radiated off of it like heat from a hot sidewalk. I pressed the back of my hand to my nose, relieved to smell rubber. Morales and Rick set the body down in the middle of the room, and the wet thud it made sent a wave of nausea through me.

"Who's going to go out there?" I asked, talking through my glove. Rick walked over to me, holding out his hand for the face shield.

"Glenn and I," he said, and Glenn's head snapped up.

"Me?" he asked, his voice a high squeak. "Why me?"

"You know the city the best," Rick explained. He waited for the face shield with an expectant look. Instead of handing it over to him, I placed it onto his head.

"Glenn's got a weak stomach," I commented in a low voice, checking that the face shield was securely in place. "Let me go with you."

"You need to stay with the others, in case we don't make it," Rick countered in an equally low voice, trying to not catch the attentions of the others. "You survived here, by yourself, for a month. They'll need your help."

"Fine, whatever," I said in a monotone voice, wanting to mask the fear that was crawling through my veins. I took a step back, standing next to Glenn. Rick walked over to the far wall, where there was a fire department axe. He took a deep breath, and lowered the face shield. He clutched at the crowbar with both hands and smashed the glass case. He walked back over to us, circled around the dead body. He handed Glenn the crowbar, his grip tightening on the axe handle. The group was silent. Rick raised the axe above his head, and Glenn cringed as Rick started to bring the axe down. He stopped himself, skidding to a halt. He took off the face shield and set it and the axe onto the ground. He pulled off his gloves and kneeled next to the body. He checked the pockets and found a wallet. He opened it, staring at the contents for a moment before looking up at us.

"Wayne Dunlap. Georgia license. Born...1979," Rick said, handing the ID to Glenn. "He had twenty-eight dollars in his pocket when he died," Rick pulled out a small picture, "And a picture of a pretty girl," he flipped it over and read from the back, "With love, from Rachel."

Rick lowered his hand, placing the picture and the wallet on the ground, next to the corpses' decaying hand. He looked up at all of us, his face somber.

"He used to be like us. Worrying about bills, or the rent, or the Superbowl. If I ever find my family I'm going to tell them about Wayne," Rick tucked the picture back into the wallet, and put the wallet back in the man's pocket. As he stood he grabbed the face shield, placing it on his head.

"One more thing," Glenn said, glancing from Rick to all of us. "He was an organ donor."

"This probably wasn't how he pictured it," I commented, and Glenn nudged me with a frown. We all stood in silence, watching the dead body. I crossed my arms over my chest, hugging myself tightly. The thought that any of us could end up like this thing…

Rick raised the axe and slammed it into the body, making a sickening crunch. The rest of us all erupted into groans of disgust, turning away. Rick cut into the stomach, and chopped off the man's hand and leg. He pauses to collect himself as the others continue to groan and curse. I turned away from the gruesome scene, burying my face into Glenn's shoulder. This didn't stop me from hearing Rick chop again, pushing the bits of bloody sludge away from the body. Each sickening chop was greeted by more groans of protest. Rick breathed heavily. He took the face shield off and handed it to Morales.

"Keep chopping," he said, handing over the axe as well. Morales took it reluctantly, placing the face shield on his head. Blood from the walker lined the bottom. Glenn let out a particularly loud moan.

"I am so gonna hurl," he whimpered, bracing his hands on his thighs. Rick held his arm up.

"Later," he said sternly. Morales chopped into the body, the innards squishing.

"Oh god," he muttered under his breath. He continued to chop as the rest of us watched in agitation. I tilted my head back, staring at the ceiling.

"I didn't sign up for this," I groaned.

"Everybody got gloves?" Rick asked. Morales took off the face shield, tossing it to the floor. "Don't get any on your skin or in your eyes."

I took a deep breath and knelt by the body, scooping up a pile of bloody sludge. I bit onto my lip, trying to keep the nausea at bay. Jacqui and T-Dog followed suit, spreading the guts onto Rick's coat. He helped, his mouth a thin line as he rubbed the bloodied gloves across his chest. Glenn groaned more in protest as I slapped my handful of guts onto him. I rubbed my gloved hands across his back.

"This is a really weird massage," I commented, eliciting a quick smile from Morales. He and Andrea stood in front of Glenn, slathering on more crud.

"Oh god, oh jeez, this is really bad," Glenn blubbered. He tilted his head up and closed his eyes. "This is really bad."

"Think about something else," Rick suggested, his eyes darting back and forth as he thought of an example. "Puppies and kittens."

"Dead puppies and kittens," T-Dog commented dryly. Glenn turned around, shoving me away from him. I staggered back as he threw up the little amount of food he had eaten that day.

"That is just evil," Andrea frowned, "what is wrong with you?"

"Next time let the cracker beat his ass," Jacqui said sharply to Rick.

"I'm sorry ya'll," T-Dog grumbled, ducking his head.

"You suck!" Glenn said from his crouched position on the floor. I knelt down next to him, and gathered some guts. I smacked it onto his back.

"There there, buddy," I rubbed the guts on, my face contorting into something between a smile and a grimace. Andrea raised her eyebrow at me. "What? I'm comforting him."

"With that?" she questioned, and I shrugged back. I glanced up at Rick, whose nose was wrinkled at the stench.

"Do we smell like them?" he asked.

"Oh yeah," Andrea nodded. She turned to Glenn, watching his face for a moment. "Glenn," she held out her gun, and Glenn stood up properly, "just in case," she gingerly lifted the coat front, and tucked the gun into the front of his jeans.

"If we make it back, be ready," Rick warned. My lower lip trembled into a frown at the alternative. I needed them to get back safely.

"What about Merle Dixon?" T-Dog asked. Rick reached into his pocket and pulled out the handcuff keys. He held it up a moment before tossing it to T-Dog. He caught it, and took a step back, looking thoughtful.

"Give me the axe," Rick said, hand outstretched. Morales handed it over. "We need more guts."

"Oh come on!" Glenn cried out as Rick chopped into the body. He cut into the body a few more times, scrapping aside guts and blood.

"I'm gonna head back up to the roof, get a signal on the walkie," T-Dog said, shedding his coat and gloves.

"Alright" Rick nodded. T-Dog jogged out of the room, headed for the stairwell. The rest of us continued to rub guts onto Rick and Glenn. I grabbed a fistfull and chucked it at Rick. He took a step back in surprise.

"What was that for?" he asked defensively. I plastered on an unconvincing smile.

"You said we needed more guts," I said sweetly, turning my gaze to a very distressed looking Glenn.

"Please don't throw more to make your point, I'm gonna get sick again," Glenn said through gritted teeth.

"Sorry," I sighed, sticking my hand back into the filth. I carried my handful over to Rick, who watched me warily.

"Keep him safe, ok?" I whispered, lathering the guts onto his back. I could feel his muscles coil tightly under his coat at my touch. I removed my hand. "What?"

"Nothing," Rick shook his head, and I went back to smoothing the guts across the back of his shoulders. "I'll look after him. Are you two…?"

"God no," I snorted. "He's just the one who got me out of this hellhole. I owe him, that's it."

"That's it?" Rick repeated disbelievingly, his piercing blue eyes scanning my face. I lowered my hands from his back and shuffled to the side.

"Smells pretty bad, so, looks all good to me," I said to the group with a wry smile I didn't feel. Rick studied me.

"She's right, let's get started," he said. "Wait on the roof. Keep an eye on where we are so you know when to run."

"Is it too late to back out?" Glenn said with a sheepish grin. Rick smiled understandingly, and Glenn started to shuffle forward. "Fine."

"Good luck," I patted his back. He and Rick walked to the back door, Morales following. I unbuttoned my coat with clumsy fingers and shrugged it off. I peeled off my gloves as Jacqui and Andrea did the same. Morales held the door open for the two stinky men, and snapped it shut behind them. He pried off his blood stained layers.

"Quick, let's go!" He said, jogging out of the room. We all followed him, running through the dimly lit hallway to the stairwell. Morales burst through the door.

"Hey! What's happening, man?" Merle shouted, straining at the handcuffs.

"Hey T-Dog, try that CB," Morales ran across the roof.

"Hey, c'mon, talk to me man!" Merle crowed for attention, but we all ignored him. We ran to the ledge. I leaned over and scanned the street, pushing my hair out of my eyes to see better.

"Base camp, this is T-Dog. Anybody hear me?" T-Dog said into the walkie talkie. Morales held the binoculars to his eyes. "Can anybody out there hear me?"

"There!" Morales pointed down suddenly. My gaze followed his finger down to the street. Two figures shuffled amongst the walkers, much more red than the others. Thunder began to rumble overhead, interrupting my thoughts. Morales looked up from the binoculars.

"That asshole's out there with the handcuff keys?" Merle asked indignantly. I glanced down at T-Dog, who had lowered the walkie talkie. He stared at Merle, and slowly raised the key. The intense look of dislike on his face was interrupted by the crackling of the radio.

"Hello? Hello?" the voice on the other side called. "Reception's bad on this end, repeat, repeat!"

"Shane, is that you?" T-Dog asked. He paused, waiting for a response, but the line was quiet. "We're stuck, we're trapped in the department store. There are geeks all over the place, hundreds of them. We're surrounded."

"They ain't listening," Merle scoffed. He gave the cuffs a sharp tug, metal clacking on metal. "Katie, c'mon, get me outta here."

"Oh my god, shut the hell up," I snapped, spinning around to glare at Merle. He scooted away from me.

"Fine, bitch," he muttered. T-Dog made to rise, clutching at his bruised stomach. I nudged him with my foot. He looked up at me, and I shook my head. He settled back down, shooting Merle an angry look. I turned back to the ledge, searching for Rick and Glenn. I found them again, and watched their slow progression. I blinked as a rain drop splashed onto my nose. Morales lowered the binoculars.

"Oh man," he grimaced. He glanced at Andrea, who stared back with wide eyes. He raised the binoculars again. "it's just a cloud burst, we get 'em all the time, it'll pass quick."

"Can I see those?" I ask. Morales hands over the binoculars without moving his gaze from Glenn and Rick. I peered through the binoculars, and the two men were brought into sudden focus. The walkers around them were starting to turn towards them. Rain pelted down, flattening my hair to my head. My breath caught in my throat. I nearly dropped the binoculars when Rick decapitated the closest walker.

"Oh c'mon c'mon c'mon!" Morales hissed as I wordlessly handed back the binoculars. I gripped my forearm with the other hand, the nails digging into my skin. The two blurs that were Rick and Glenn hopped the fence just as a large crowd of walkers rushed it. I could hear distant gunshots as Rick picked off some of the walkers. One of the vans at the construction sight began to move. It backed up, and then drove off in the other direction. Morales slowly lowered the binoculars.

"They're leaving us," Andrea said breathlessly. I shook my head quickly, a wet strand of hair slapping across my face.

"What?" Merle barked. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my sudden panic.

"No, no no no no, where're they going?" Morales asked in a quick breath.

"No, no, come back!" Andrea pleaded.

"They won't leave us!" I half shouted, kicking the ledge out of frustration. My toe throbbed.

"You tellin' me that no good pig ran off without us?" Merle yelled.

"No! He wouldn't do that!" I shouted over my shoulder.

"And how the hell would you know that, huh?" Merle snapped back. "Your knight in shining armor has ridden off into the sunset without you, sweetheart."

"Wait, hold on," T-Dog said suddenly, holding the walkie talkie up to his ear. He pressed the talk button. "Say again?"

"Those roll up doors at the front of the store, facing the street, meet us there and be ready!" Glenn's voice said on the walkie. Everyone sprung into action, grabbing their bags. I shrugged on a backpack full of food, and slung my personal messenger bag over my shoulder.

"C'mon, let's go, let's go," Morales ushered us.

"Hey, you can't leave me here! Morales!" Merle cried after him as he, Jacqui and Andrea ran for the stairwell. "Hey man, don't do this! You can't leaved me!"

"Come on!" Andrea yelled, her eyes on me. I helped T-Dog to his feet and tugged his hand.

"Let's get out of here!" panic made my voice jump up an octave. T-Dog hesitated, and I let go of his hand. I ran after the others.

"We gotta go!" Morales ordered as he entered the stairwell. I stopped near the door, my eyes on T-Dog.

"Morales, you can't leave me here like this, man!" Merle's strangled yell was desperate. T-Dog caught my eye, and just barely shook his head. Tears leaked out of my eyes.

"Fine!" I shouted. I rushed into the stairwell, and ran as fast as I could without falling over. I managed to catch up with the others in the department store as they paused at the sight of oncoming walkers. The dead clawed at the glass, their growls increasing as they saw their prey. Jacqui turned her head as she saw me run towards them, and she nudged Morales. We all kept running to the loading area. There was a large rolling door on one wall, with a set of chains in the corner. Jacqui and Andrea shed their bags, gripping the chains tightly. Morales did the same and held onto the other chain. I turned towards the door we came through, brandishing my machete. My attention was divided when a faint but steady car alarm began to sound.

"Ssh!" Morales pressed his finger to his lip.

"What is that?" Andrea asked. My muscles tightened as a figure ran into the room, but it was just T-Dog.

"They're here! Let's go man!" he shouted in a panic. "They're in here!"

He ran over to us, his eyes wide with fear. A loud bang echoed off of the rolling door. The others scrambled to open the door while I covered the interior door, my hands exterior door rolled up, revealing Rick standing in the back of a van. He held his arms out, and we started to throw our bags to him. Rick pulled them in and then went to the driver's seat. Jacqui and Andrea hopped in, and pulled T-Dog in while Morales and I helped from the ground. Morales jumped on, scrambling on the van's floor. I placed my hands on the bumper to pull myself up, but stopped as something grabbed the back of my shirt. It only caught fabric, which ripped as I pulled myself away. I turned around to see a male walker lunge towards me. I stabbed it through the eye with my machete, and then gave it a kick in the stomach. It went staggering backwards. I tossed my machete into the van and hauled myself up. Morales grabbed me around the waist and pulled me in. I crawled along the floor to where Jacqui and Andrea were huddled. Rick stomped on the gas and peeled out. Morales lowered the truck's door as walkers ran after us.

"Did it scratch you?" Morales shouted over the roar of the engine. Jacqui shoved my shoulder so my back was to her. I felt her fingers pull the loose threads of fabric away from my back.

"I'm fine!" I exclaimed, reaching behind me and touching the bare skin. It was smooth. Morales looked to Jacqui for confirmation, who nodded. I sagged to the ground, curling up next to Jacqui. She combed her fingers through my mangled hair, muttering something soothing that was lost in the noise of the van. Morales walked to the passenger seat and lowered himself down. I took quick, shallow breaths, my face pressed to the cold floor. I closed my eyes tightly. In a sudden rush of self-loathing, I pushed myself up into a sitting position. I leaned heavily against the wall. Rick glanced over his shoulder at us, quickly turning back to the road. My gaze fluttered downward for a moment before latching onto T-Dog.

"I dropped the damn key," he sighed with a shake of his head. I rubbed my balled up fist against my eye, my mouth quivering.

"Where's Glenn?" Andrea asked suddenly. My head shot up, and I looked around the van.

"Rick?" I questioned, my voice cracking.

"It's alright, he's fine," Rick assured me. "He's got another ride."

"What other-" I clamped my mouth shut as I heard a siren in the distance. A relieved sigh escaped from my lips. I leaned my head back, closing my eyes. He was safe. For the moment, we were all safe.


End file.
